Chapter 21 Caroline
CAROLINE
Caroline rinsed a dirty plate at Justin’s kitchen sink. There were barely any scraps of food left from the amazing dinner he’d cooked.
This was a perfect way to end a long day of work. The sixteen-hour shifts at the bakery were beginning to take their toll, but spending quiet time in the evening with Justin was going to be her new favorite thing.
He finished wiping the table and appeared at her side to take the plate from her and place it in the dishwasher.
Yeah. She could get used to this.
Caroline dried her hands just as Justin slid his arms around her waist from behind. The warmth of his chest against her back made her lean into his embrace.
“Stop. You don’t have to clean up here,” Justin whispered against her ear.
Her head fell back against his shoulder. “You say that, but it’s not easy to believe it.”
Justin spun her around and took her hand in his. “Come on. Sit down and rest.”
“Rest? What’s that?” Caroline joked.
Justin led her to the couch where she fell into the soft cushions with a satisfied groan. “This couch is way more comfortable than mine.”
Justin settled in beside her, and pulled her into his warmth, resting her legs over his lap. “I think that means you need to come over more.”
Cuddling into his side, she let that dream turn into a reality in her mind. Thinking about the future with Justin didn’t seem as scary as before. “I’d like that.”
Justin brushed her hair over her shoulder before lifting his hand to graze his fingertips over her temple and down her jaw. “Tell me something I don’t know. I want to know everything.”
The tightening of her muscles was instinctual. There were things she wasn’t ready to talk about just yet. Would she ever be ready? “Everything?”
“Everything. Do you want to give me an update on your brother?”
Caroline usually avoided talking about Dom like the topic was an infectious disease, but right now, it was the lesser of two evils. “He’s okay, I guess. I think he goes through ups and downs. He seemed good the last time I saw him.”
Visiting Dom in prison always brought on a torrential mix of emotions she didn’t know what to do with. Happiness she could handle. Sadness and anger just got jumbled up and pushed down.
“He’s lucky to have you,” Justin whispered.
“Why? Every time I visit him, I’m just reminded of how helpless I am. He’s a good man. He always has been. He just…”
Just what? Slipped up and killed someone? Yeah. There weren’t many words for the confusion that always swirled in her head whenever she thought about her brother.
Justin’s hand slid up and down her arm, leaving a trail of warmth that quickly faded. “How’s your mom?”
A chuckle slipped out before she thought about her response. “It’s weird that you ask about my mom and care about how she’s doing when you’ve never even met her. I mean, not bad weird. I just think you should have met them by now.”
“It’s only been thirteen years,” he pointed out.
“I’d like for you to meet them before Christmas. We spend Christmas morning as a family. We have brunch, and my nieces and nephews get to play together with their toys. It’s a lot of fun.”
Justin’s jaw tightened, and she braced for his response. Christmas had never been a happy time for him. Even all these years later, her heart still clenched at the idea of Justin growing up without any celebration on Christmas.
“I’d love that.” His arms tightened around her. “You know, I’ve thought about you every Christmas since we were together.”
“Really?”
“Christmas has a different meaning for me now. I used to think it was about the presents, and when I didn’t get them, it felt like Christmas came for everyone except me.”
She’d never wanted to physically harm someone before—except Chuck Mckinnon. The man had killed Justin’s childhood, stole from her family, and beat her dad until he was near death only a few years ago.
Justin lifted her chin with his finger, leveling his gaze with hers.
His dark eyes were endless depths she wanted to rush into.
“But you changed that. Now I know what Christmas is about. It’s not about me.
It’s about Him. You saved my life, and Christmas reminds me of that gift you helped me open—eternity. ”
Oh, peaches and cream. She was going to cry. Whether because of her exhaustion or Justin’s sweet words, the moisture welled up in her eyes. “That’s so sweet,” she choked out.
“No, you’re sweet. You’re the best person I’ve ever met, and I don’t care if we’d been apart for twenty years, I could never forget you. What you showed me is life-changing, Caroline. ”
This. This was why she couldn’t imagine marrying any of the other men who’d proposed. Justin was the one for her, and she couldn’t keep him away anymore.
She buried her face against his chest and let him hold her as silent tears streaked down her cheeks. “I’ve missed you so much.”
“I missed you too.”
Twelve years apart was a long time, but the future they’d once imagined was beginning to take form again. It wasn’t the same as they’d once imagined. It had grown and changed with them until they could pursue it again.
Their family’s feud, the bad reviews, the long hours—they could overcome all of it now if they were ready to fight for it.